Booterstown () is a coastal suburb of the city of
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
. It is also a
townland
A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...
and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
in the modern county of
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown () is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and the Eastern and Midland Region. It is one of three successor counties to County Dublin, which was disestablished in 1994. It is named after the former ...
. It is situated about south of Dublin city centre.
History
There is some debate on the origin of the town name Booterstown. Historically known in English as "Ballyboother" the name "Booterstown" is an
anglicised
Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...
form of the original Irish name ''Baile an Bhóthair'', meaning "The Town of the Road". In its original Irish form it shares the same name as
Batterstown
Batterstown () is a small rural village in the townland of Rathregan (''Ráth Riagáin''), County Meath, Ireland. It is about northwest of Dublin, on the R154 regional road. It hosts a yearly cycling race. There are approximately forty houses ...
in
County Meath
County Meath ( ; or simply , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin to the southeast, County ...
, as well as Ballinvoher in Kilkenny, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Longford and Mayo.
Booterstown lies along an ancient route once known as
Slíghe Chualann
; modern spelling ) was a road in Early Christian Ireland running south across ("the Ford of Hurdles"; now Dublin city) entering the territory of Cualu or Cuala before going west of the Wicklow Mountains. The ancient name for Dublin was ' Bail ...
, which connected the residence of the
High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...
at Tara with his outlying lands in
Cualann
Cualu or Cuala (genitive ) was a territory in Gaelic Ireland south of the River Liffey encompassing the Wicklow Mountains.
History
Edmund Hogan concludes from primary sources that it "seems to extend from Arklow to the Liffey, and to be coexte ...
. Cualann is the ancient name for the area of land stretching towards Bray ().
However, there are also several references to the names "Butterstonne" and "Butterstown" from various historic maps eg Rocques etc.
"Butterstown" is also mentioned in "10 facts about Merrion and Booterstown", as follows: "Booterstown was once entirely agricultural, renowned for its rich farming land. Its original name was derived from the produce created, Butterstown, and this name lasted until the end of the 18th century. In those days, virtually the only building in the district was Booterstown Castle, which was incorporated into St Mary’s house, built in the 18th century and still there."
"The Queen’s After-Dinner Speech, as overhead and cut into Lengths of Poetry by Jamesy Murphy, Deputy-Assistant-Waiter at the Viceregal Lodge" states: " "An’ by Merrion roun’,” sez she, “To Buttherstown,” sez she,“Till I came to the ridge,” sez she "
This poem has been admirably recited by Ronnie Drew (of the Dubliners), "Sez She"
The Congregation of the
Irish Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers (; abbreviated CFC) is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Edmund Ignatius Rice, Edmund Rice.
Their first school opened in Waterford, Ireland in 1802. At the time of its ...
had their headquarters at
St. Helen's, Booterstown
St. Helen's is a period house built in the early 1750s and located in Booterstown, County Dublin, Ireland. It is operated as a five-star Radisson hotel and owned by the Cosgrave Property Group. It had some notable owners such as the Hugh Gough, ...
from 1925 to 1988. St. Helen's was built in 1760 for Thomas Cooley, MP and was known originally as ''Seamount''. It was extensively refurbished a century later while in the ownership of
Viscount Gough
Viscount Gough (), of Goojerat in the Punjab and of the city of Limerick, was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1849 for the Anglo-Irish military commander Hugh Gough, 1st Baron Gough, whose military successes inc ...
, Field Marshal of the British Army, whose wife Marie Frances opened the gardens to the public. The house is now a hotel of
The Radisson Group.
Booterstown retains its link with the name Tara, as the Tara Towers hotel was built there in the 1970s on Merrion Road, next to the historical
Bellevue Merrion Cemetery. The Tara Towers hotel was demolished in 2019.
In medieval times Booterstown formed with
Mount Merrion
Mount Merrion () is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is roughly 7 kilometres (5 mi) south of Dublin city centre and is situated on and around the hill of the same name.
Location and access
Mount Merrion is 3 kilometres (2 mi) southw ...
the manor of Thorncastle.
Transport

Booterstown borders
Sandymount
Sandymount () is a coastal suburb in the Dublin 4 district on the Southside, Dublin, Southside of Dublin in Ireland.
Etymology
An early name for the area was Scal'd Hill or Scald Hill. to the north,
Merrion and
Mount Merrion
Mount Merrion () is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is roughly 7 kilometres (5 mi) south of Dublin city centre and is situated on and around the hill of the same name.
Location and access
Mount Merrion is 3 kilometres (2 mi) southw ...
to the west, and
Blackrock
BlackRock, Inc. is an American Multinational corporation, multinational investment company. Founded in 1988, initially as an enterprise risk management and fixed income institutional asset manager, BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager ...
to the south, while along the coast to the southeast is the small district of Williamstown.
Booterstown is served by the
DART
Dart or DART may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Dart, the equipment in the game of darts
* Dart (comics), an Image Comics superhero
* Dart, a character from ''G.I. Joe''
* Dart, a ''Thomas & Friends'' railway engine character
* Dart ...
, with a
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
between the stops of
Blackrock
BlackRock, Inc. is an American Multinational corporation, multinational investment company. Founded in 1988, initially as an enterprise risk management and fixed income institutional asset manager, BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager ...
and
Sydney Parade
Sydney Parade is a cricket ground in Dublin, Ireland. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1897, when Pembroke played Leicester Ivanhoe. In 1965, the ground hosted a first-class match between Ireland and Scotland, which resulted in ...
. Booterstown railway station opened in January 1835 as part of the
Dublin and Kingstown Railway
The Dublin and Kingstown Railway (D&KR), which opened in 1834, was Ireland's first passenger railway. It linked Westland Row in Dublin with Kingstown Harbour (Dún Laoghaire) in County Dublin.
The D&KR was also notable for a number of other a ...
.
Booterstown was served by the
Dublin tramways
Dublin tramways was a system of trams in Dublin, Ireland, which commenced line-laying in 1871, and began service in 1872, following trials in the mid-1860s. Established by a number of companies, the majority of the system was eventually operat ...
routes 6, 7 and 8 until the tram lines ceased operations on 9 July 1949. Today the nearest tram is the
Luas
Luas (, Irish language, Irish: ; meaning 'speed') is a tram system in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. There are two main lines: the Green Line (Luas), Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line (Luas), Red Line ...
green line with stops at
Sandyford
Sandyford () is a suburb of Dublin, located in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland.
Sandyford Business District makes up much of the suburb and encompasses 4 business parks: Sandyford Business Park, Stillorgan Business Park, Central Park and S ...
and
Stillorgan
Stillorgan (, also and previously or ), formerly a village in its own right, is now a suburban area of Dublin in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Stillorgan is located in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, and contains many housing estates, shops and oth ...
.
Booterstown is also served by two
Quality Bus Corridors,
Stillorgan
Stillorgan (, also and previously or ), formerly a village in its own right, is now a suburban area of Dublin in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Stillorgan is located in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, and contains many housing estates, shops and oth ...
and
Blackrock, Dublin
Blackrock () is an affluent suburb of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, northwest of Dún Laoghaire. It is named after the local geological rock formation to be found in the area of Blackrock Park. In the late 18th century, the Blackrock Ro ...
. A frequent
Aircoach
First Bus Ireland Limited trading as Aircoach is an Ireland-based subsidiary company of FirstGroup. It provides airport express coach services from Cork, Belfast, Derry, Southside Dublin and Dublin to Dublin Airport and from Derry to Belfast ...
service links the area with Dublin Airport.
Features
The area is home to
Booterstown marsh
Booterstown Marsh, a Nature Reserve, is located in Booterstown, County Dublin, between the coastal railway line and the ''Rock Road''. It is an area of salt marsh and muds, with brackish water. It includes the only salt marsh, and the only bird ...
, a bird sanctuary which has been leased for many years by
An Taisce
An Taisce – The National Trust for Ireland (; "An Taisce" meaning "the store" or "the treasury"), established on a provisional basis in September 1946, and incorporated as a company based on an “association not for profit” in June 1948, is ...
, who have worked to protect it. Species seen regularly include
mallard
The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa. It has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...
,
Eurasian teal
The Eurasian teal (''Anas crecca''), common teal, or Eurasian green-winged teal is a common and widespread duck that breeds in temperate Eurosiberia and migrates south in winter. The Eurasian teal is often called simply the teal due to being th ...
,
common moorhen
The common moorhen (''Gallinula chloropus''), also known as the waterhen, is a bird species in the Rail (bird), rail family (Rallidae). It is distributed across many parts of the Old World, across Africa, Europe, and Asia. It lives around well-ve ...
,
water rail
The water rail, western water rail or European water rail (''Rallus aquaticus'') is a bird of the rail family which breeds in well-vegetated wetlands across Europe, Asia and North Africa. Northern and eastern populations are migratory, but this ...
,
grey heron
The grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') is a long-legged wading bird of the heron family, Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia, and also parts of Africa. It is resident in much of its range, but some populations from the more norther ...
,
little egret
The little egret (''Egretta garzetta'') is a species of small heron in the family Ardeidae. It is a white bird with a slender black beak, long black legs and, in the western race, yellow feet. As an aquatic bird, it feeds in shallow water and on ...
,
common redshank
The common redshank or simply redshank (''Tringa totanus'') is a Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.
Taxonomy
The common redshank was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of hi ...
,
greenshank
The common greenshank (''Tringa nebularia'') is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae, the typical waders. The genus name ''Tringa'' is the Neo-Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek ''trungas'' ...
,
Eurasian curlew
The Eurasian curlew or common curlew (''Numenius arquata'') is a very large wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia. In Europe, this species is often referred ...
,
common snipe
The common snipe (''Gallinago gallinago'') is a small, stocky wader native to the Old World.
Distribution and habitat
The breeding habitats are marshes, bogs, tundra and wet meadows throughout the Palearctic. In the north, the distribution li ...
,
Eurasian oystercatcher
The Eurasian oystercatcher (''Haematopus ostralegus'') also known as the common pied oystercatcher, or (in Europe) just oystercatcher, is a wader in the oystercatcher bird family Haematopodidae. It has striking black and white plumage, a long st ...
,
bar-tailed godwit
The bar-tailed godwit (''Limosa lapponica'') is a large and strongly migratory wader in the family Scolopacidae, which feeds on bristle-worms and shellfish on coastal mudflats and estuaries. It has distinctive red breeding plumage, long legs, ...
,
common kingfisher
The common kingfisher (''Alcedo atthis''), also known as the Eurasian kingfisher and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of ...
,
sedge warbler
The sedge warbler (''Acrocephalus schoenobaenus'') is an Old World warbler in the genus ''Acrocephalus (bird), Acrocephalus''. It is a medium-sized warbler with a brown, streaked back and wings and a distinct pale supercilium. Sedge warblers are ...
and
dunlin
The dunlin (''Calidris alpina'') is a small wader in the genus '' Calidris''. The English name is a dialect form of "dunling", first recorded in 1531–1532. It derives from ''dun'', "dull brown", with the suffix ''-ling'', meaning a person or ...
.
The Catholic
Church of the Assumption is a focal point of the area along Booterstown Avenue.
Booterstown has a dedicated Circus Field located along the Rock Road, where both
Tom Duffy's Circus (June/July) and Fossett's Circus (October) are set up once a year.
The Old Punch Bowl pub, which stands at the bottom of Booterstown Avenue, was established in 1779.
Merrion Cemetery is an old cemetery that was used from the 13th century to 1866 and is located at Bellevue between Booterstown and Merrion off the Rock Road.
Booterstown was recorded in
1488
__NOTOC__
Year 1488 ( MCDLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.
Events
January–December
* January 8 – The Royal Netherlands Navy is formed, by the decree of Maximillian of Austria.
* February 3 ...
as one of the locations for the boundary of
The Pale
The Pale ( Irish: ''An Pháil'') or the English Pale (' or ') was the part of Ireland directly under the control of the English government in the Late Middle Ages. It had been reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast s ...
.
Education
Primary schools in Booterstown include Booterstown National School (Cross Avenue), Our Lady of Mercy Girls School,
St. Andrew's College, St. Mary's Boys National School, and Willow Park School.
Secondary schools serving the area include two
Gaelscoileanna
A Gaelscoil (; plural: ''Gaelscoileanna'') is an Irish language-Medium of instruction, medium school in Ireland: the term refers especially to Irish-medium schools outside the Irish-speaking regions or Gaeltacht. Over 50,000 students attend Gaels ...
:
Coláiste Eoin
Coláiste Eoin is a Catholic voluntary Gaelcholáiste (Irish language scondary school) for boys, under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust, in Booterstown, County Dublin, Ireland. It has hurling and Gaelic football teams, traditio ...
and
Coláiste Íosagáin. It is also home to St. Andrew's College, which moved here from Clyde Road in 1973. Blackrock Educate Together Secondary School was established in 2021 to cater to the areas of Booterstown, Blackrock, and Dún Laoghaire. Other nearby post-primary schools include
Blackrock College
Blackrock College () is a voluntary day and boarding Catholic secondary school for boys aged 13–18, in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. It was founded by French missionary Jules Leman in 1860 as a school and later became al ...
,
Colaiste Eoin,
Colaiste Iosagain,
Dominican College.
Churches

Christian churches in the area include:
*
Church of the Assumption, Booterstown (Roman Catholic)
* South Hill Evangelical Church, Booterstown (Evangelical)
*
St. Andrew's, Mount Merrion Avenue (Presbyterian)
*
St. Philip and St. James Church, Cross Avenue (Church of Ireland)
Notable people
*
Francis Elrington Ball
Francis Elrington Ball, known as F. Elrington Ball (1863–1928), was an Irish author and legal historian, best known for his work ''The Judges in Ireland 1221–1921'' (1926).
Life
A younger son of John Thomas Ball (1815 to 1898), the Lord Ch ...
, who lived at Booterstown House at one time, was an Irish author and legal historian, best known for his works ''The Judges in Ireland 1221–1921'' and ''A history of the county of Dublin'' (Parts 1–6).
*
Maziere Brady
Sir Maziere Brady, 1st Baronet, PC (Ire) (20 July 1796 – 13 April 1871) was an Irish judge, notable for his exceptionally long, though not particularly distinguished tenure as Lord Chancellor of Ireland.
Background
Brady was born at his paren ...
,
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
The Lord High Chancellor of Ireland, commonly known as the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, was the highest ranking judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 until the end of 1800, it was also the hi ...
for almost 20 years was a native of Booterstown. His family owned what is now Willow Park School.
*
Hugh Carleton, 1st Viscount Carleton
Hugh Carleton MRIA, 1st Viscount Carleton, PC (I), SL (11 September 1739 – 25 February 1826) was an Irish politician and judge.
Early life
Carleton was possibly born in Cork city, son of Francis Carleton (1713–1791) and Rebecca (d.1791 ...
, was an eminent judge, and at one time an owner of Willow Park.
*
Kenny Carroll, Irish cricketer, born in Booterstown
*
U Dhammaloka first Irish Buddhist.
*
William Downes, 1st Baron Downes
William Downes, 1st Baron Downes PC (1751 – 3 March 1826) was one of the leading Irish judges of his time, who held office as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland.
Family
Downes was the second son of Robert Downes (1708-1754) of Donnybrook Castle, ...
,
Lord Chief Justice of Ireland
The Court of King's Bench (or Court of Queen's Bench during the reign of a Queen) was one of the senior courts of common law in Ireland. It was a mirror of the Court of King's Bench in England. The Lord Chief Justice was the most senior judge ...
, had a house called Merville in Booterstown, and died there in 1826.
*
Seán MacBride
Seán MacBride (26 January 1904 – 15 January 1988) was an Irish Republican activist, politician, and diplomat who served as Minister for External Affairs from 1948 to 1951, Leader of Clann na Poblachta from 1946 to 1965 and Chief of Staff o ...
, Irish government minister and prominent international politician, who lived in Booterstown. In his early life, while he was a member of the IRA, he was charged with the murder of Kevin O'Higgins in 1927.
*
Eoin MacNeill
Eoin MacNeill (; born John McNeill; 15 May 1867 – 15 October 1945) was an Irish scholar, Irish language enthusiast, Gaelic revivalist, nationalist, and politician who served as Minister for Education from 1922 to 1925, Ceann Comhairle of D ...
, who lived on South Hill Avenue, Booterstown, was an Irish scholar, nationalist, revolutionary and politician.
*
Richard Robert Madden
Richard Robert Madden (22 August 1798 – 5 February 1886) was an Irish doctor, writer, Abolitionism in the United Kingdom, abolitionist and historian of the United Irishmen. Madden took an active role in trying to impose anti-slavery rules in ...
lived at 4 Booterstown Avenue (a plaque is noted here) and on Vernon Terrace. He was an Irish doctor, writer, abolitionist and historian of the United Irishmen.
[Tom Roche and Ken Finlay (2003). "Blackrock, Dun Laoghaire and Dalkey (Along the coast from Booterstown to Killiney)" Cottage Publications ]
*
John McCormack lived in Booterstown for a short while, in the house named "Glena", overlooking the sea opposite the Booterstown Marsh. He died there in 1945.
*
Maurice Neligan was an Irish heart surgeon born in Booterstown, noted for carrying out Ireland's first coronary artery bypass graft in 1975, Ireland's first heart transplant in 1985 and an estimated 15,000 open heart surgery operations, many on children. He was also a founder of the nearby
Blackrock Clinic
Blackrock Clinic () is a private hospital in Blackrock, Dublin. It is associated with both the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and University College Dublin.
History
The hospital was founded by surgeons Joseph Sheehan, his brother Jimmy Sh ...
.
*
Kevin O'Higgins
Kevin Christopher O'Higgins (; 7 June 1892 – 10 July 1927) was an Irish politician who served as Vice-President of the Executive Council and Minister for Justice from 1922 to 1927, Minister for External Affairs from June 1927 to July 1927 a ...
lived in a house called "Dunamase" and was the Minister for Justice in the Government of the
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State (6 December 192229 December 1937), also known by its Irish-language, Irish name ( , ), was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-ye ...
. He was assassinated on the Booterstown end of Cross Avenue on his way to mass at the local parish church,
Church of the Assumption, on 10 July 1927 by members of the
IRA. It is believed that he was assassinated for ordering the execution of seventy-seven republicans during his tenure.
[Lyng, Paul (2000). "Booterstown, A pastoral journey through four centuries 1616-2000" Future Print]
*
Ryan Tubridy
Ryan Tubridy (born 28 May 1973) is an Irish broadcaster. He currently presents the weekday mid-morning programme ''The Ryan Tubridy Show'' on Virgin Radio UK, as well as a weekend programme on Sundays.
His broadcasting career with RTÉ spanned ...
, Irish broadcaster, born in Booterstown.
*
Barbara Verschoyle, Irish land agent and philanthropist
* Simon Watson, Irish portrait, interior, and travel photographer, born in Booterstown.
See also
*
List of towns and villages in Ireland
References
{{Dublin residential areas
Civil parishes of Rathdown, County Dublin
Dublin (barony)
Towns and villages in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown